UPSC Articles
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Economy
In news
- Earlier this month, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an investor alert, which was the first warning of sorts for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).
Important value additions
- A SPAC, or a blank-cheque company, is an entity specifically set up with the objective of acquiring a firm in a particular sector.
- Aim: To raise money in an initial public offering (IPO), and at this point in time, it does not have any operations or revenues.
- Once the money is raised from the public, it is kept in an escrow account, which can be accessed while making the acquisition.
- If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted, and the money is returned to the investors.
- Certain market participants believe that, through a SPAC transaction, a private company can become a publicly-traded company with more certainty as to pricing and control over deal terms as compared to traditional IPOs.
Indian scenario:
- In India, renewable energy producer ReNew Power last month announced an agreement to merge with RMG Acquisition Corp II, a blank-cheque company.
- It became the first involving an Indian company during the latest boom in SPAC deals.
